Jasmine Renee Gonzalez
Payson,UT
Summary
Highly knowledgeable professional in financial services, known for high productivity and efficient task completion. Ability to assist students navigate through complex financial aid processes. Specialized in risk assessment, regulatory compliance, and customer service. Excel using communication, problem-solving, and adaptability skills to achieve goals and meet client needs.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Financial Aid Counselor
Utah Valley University
Orem, UT
08.2023 - Current
- Provide guidance to students and parents regarding federal, state, and institutional financial aid and scholarships through in-person meetings, emails, service tickets(Jira), and phone calls
- Assess students' financial requirements in accordance with federal, state, and institutional policies
- Identify exemptions for students with unique or exceptional circumstances
- Manage and process all financial aid appeals related to status changes and academic progress
- Creates training programs and educates campus departments, students, secondary education counselors, parents, and community agencies on educational financing opportunities in line with federal, state, and institutional funding requirements
- Assists in the creation and development of training manuals
- Research and address inquiries about application processes and processing issues
- Engage in ongoing education through state, regional, and federal training programs
- Conduct regular internal audits of the area
- Expertise in federal regulations for financial aid and scholarships, including need analysis, eligibility assessment, verification, packaging strategies, loan awarding, default prevention, Federal Work Study, Return of Title IV, and academic progress evaluation
- Support colleagues to ensure smooth departmental operations and train and mentor new counselors on financial aid regulations, appeals, loan requests, and other reports
Senior College Counselor
KIPP Sunnyside School
Houston, TX
08.2022 - 07.2023
- Expertise in assessing students' academic strengths, interests, career plans, and goals to create personalized college wishlist's, with each student having 5 to 10 schools to apply to.
- Exceptional organizational and time management skills, efficiently managing large caseloads, and meeting deadlines.
- Extensive knowledge of college admissions requirements, application procedures, and financial aid options.
- Strong ability to build relationships with students, parents, and college admissions representatives, fostering a supportive and collaborative environment.
- Scheduled and conducted personalized meetings with parents and students to review and discuss financial aid packages received from different colleges and universities.
- Developed and implemented comprehensive financial aid workshops for high school seniors and parents, resulting in a 98% FAFSA completion.
Junior College Counselor
KIPP Sunnyside School
Houston, TX
08.2022 - 07.2023
- Coordinate college visits and campus tours to help students gain firsthand experience of different college environments.
- Conduct individual meetings with high school junior students to discuss their college goals, interests, and academic achievements.
- Facilitated the ACT and SAT registration process for high school junior students, assisted students in creating and managing online accounts on the official ACT and SAT websites, enabling them to register for exams and access scores.
KIPP Forward Department Chair
KIPP Sunnyside School
Houston, TX
08.2022 - 07.2023
- Served as the department chair for the college counseling team, overseeing the coordination and collaboration of all team members.
- Collaborated with team members to develop and implement strategies for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the college counseling department's operations.
- Facilitated regular content team meetings with the college counseling team to discuss and align on goals, initiatives, and best practices for supporting students in their college journey.
- Processed and sent high school transcripts and fee waivers for students applying to colleges and universities, ensuring accuracy, confidentiality, and timely delivery.
ACT and SAT and TSI Testing Coordinator
KIPP Sunnyside School
Houston, TX
08.2022 - 07.2023
- Developed and executed a comprehensive logistics plan for three mock ACT exams throughout the academic year, ensuring smooth and efficient administration of the exams.
- Organized and conducted training sessions for proctors, providing them with detailed instructions and guidelines to ensure consistent and fair administration of the mock exams.
- Monitored students' progress in their ACT and SAT prep, providing ongoing support and guidance to enhance their test performance.
- Coordinated and managed the administration of national ACT and SAT exams on designated Saturdays, ensuring adherence to standardized testing procedures and protocols.
- Administered the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) exams to high school seniors throughout the year, ensuring compliance with testing procedures and guidelines.
Senior College Seminar Teacher/Counselor
KIPP Sunnyside School
Houston, TX
02.2022 - 07.2023
- Instructed 12th-grade students on college readiness.
- Collaborated with teammates on projects and planning.
- Transmit high school initial, mid-year, and final transcripts to colleges and universities.
- Engage with students' parents on updates about their students' college applications, financial aid applications, scholarship advice, and award letters counseling.
- Advised students on college match and fit.
- Provide students with resources on scholarships, jobs, internships, apprenticeships, and summer programs.
- Provided presentations on college, workforce, military processes of applications, benefits, and eligibility.
- Assisted students and parents with the process of FAFSA applications and Apply Texas through virtual meetings and telephone visits.
- Interacted with each individual, parents, and/or families' students in person, virtual, and/or telephone visits.
Advise Texas College Adviser
Texas A&M University
College Station/Houston, TX
12.2020 - 01.2022
- Highly qualified college adviser to 'Teach for America' in college advising.
- Work alongside school staff to mentor, encourage, and assist students one-on-one.
- Provide supervision and professional development for a high proportion of historically underserved students
- To assist in building a college-going culture and helping high school students find the best-fit college for their career aspirations and academic preparation.
- This includes assistance with ACT, SAT, and college application fee waivers, college exploration, college application, FAFSA completion and submission, and—when college acceptance letters arrive—helping students understand the different financial aid packages they are offered.
- Assist high school students in enrolling in the post-secondary option that is the best fit, where they will be most likely to succeed and persist to a degree or meaningful credential, be it a four-year university, two-year college, or technical school.
- Encourage students to apply to three or more institutions so they still have multiple options if their first choice does not accept them, or offers a financial assistance package that is insufficient to make that institution a viable option.
- Serve as a social entrepreneur in school-level needs assessment, and plan and execute a strategic plan to meet the needs of each student.
- Work alongside with KIPP Through College Counseling Team (KTC) to collaborate with special needs students such as homelessness, undocumented, students with disabilities and foster children.
- Counseled students on resume building.
Education
Bachelors - University Studies-Architecture, Minor in Urban Planning And Performance Studies
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX12.2020
Skills
- Decision-making capacity
- Verbal and written communication
- Student counseling
- Microsoft office
- Financial planning
- Time management
- Document tracking
- Problem-solving
- Team collaboration
- Auditing
- Clerical skills
Certification
- ACT: Obtained certification to proctor the ACT exam at a testing site to junior students.
- TSI: Obtained certification to administer the ACT exam at a testing site to junior students.
- SAT: Obtained certification to proctor the ACT exam at a testing site to junior students.
Volunteer Experience
- Brazos Valley Food Bank
- Pasadena City Council Campaign
- Magnified Nursing and Rehabilitation
- Community Service
Studies Abroad
China, Cities, Landscape and Architecture - 07/2019-08/2019:
Studies focused on the 5000 years of cultural history in China. Studied and learned on rapid economic growth and urbanization development of unique traditions, gardens, and buildings; historical and contemporary cities towns, landscape, and architecture in China; exploration of traditional towns and villages, and 2008 Beijing Olympic Park and 2010 World Expo site, Great Wall, Yellow Mountain, and Stone Forest.
Organizations/Leadership Experience
Texas A&M Corps of Cadets - 08/2016-05/2020:
- Disciplined and structured with assigned tasks.
- Mastered time-management skills with Corps life and Academics.
Fighting Texas Aggie Band - 08/2016-05/2020:
- Appointed as a Cadre Member for the Corps of Cadets.
- Instructed and precepted incoming Freshman on rules and regulations for the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets.
- Appointed as the Fire Team Leader to counsel and guide two assigned corps members on reaching and goals, physical fitness, and academics.
- Selected meritoriously as the Infantry Band Recruiting Sergeant to present to prospective students in the rules and regulations of the Infantry Band.
- Assigned and distributed incoming students to members in the band to contact.
- Meritoriously selected as the Infantry Band Public Relations Sergeant to manage all social media websites; write and publish Infantry Bank Newsletters for parents and students; take photographs of all events and scheduled all public relation events, such as community service events.
- Assisted in designing merchandise to raise monies for the Texas A&M Infantry Band.
CAMAC - 01/2017-05/2018:
(Committee for the Awareness of Mexican American Culture)
- Student Development Subcommittee.
- Host socials, Banquets, Retreats
- Spread awareness of our culture around the Texas A&M Community.
CAMAC Student Development Director - 01/2018-05/2018:
- Planned and executed meetings through socials, retreats and banquets.
- Informed, recruited, and trained members of upcoming events.
- Hosted and presented Committee meetings.
- Created and posted Committee Meeting Minutes.
Darling Recruiting Company - 01/2017-05/2018:
- Led Texas A&M campus tours for the prospective members and incoming freshman
- Became very knowledgeable with Campus history.
Languages
English
Native/ Bilingual
Spanish
Native/ Bilingual
Timeline
Financial Aid Counselor
Utah Valley University
08.2023 - Current
Senior College Counselor
KIPP Sunnyside School
08.2022 - 07.2023
Junior College Counselor
KIPP Sunnyside School
08.2022 - 07.2023
KIPP Forward Department Chair
KIPP Sunnyside School
08.2022 - 07.2023
ACT and SAT and TSI Testing Coordinator
KIPP Sunnyside School
08.2022 - 07.2023
Senior College Seminar Teacher/Counselor
KIPP Sunnyside School
02.2022 - 07.2023
Advise Texas College Adviser
Texas A&M University
12.2020 - 01.2022
- ACT: Obtained certification to proctor the ACT exam at a testing site to junior students.
- TSI: Obtained certification to administer the ACT exam at a testing site to junior students.
- SAT: Obtained certification to proctor the ACT exam at a testing site to junior students.
Bachelors - University Studies-Architecture, Minor in Urban Planning And Performance Studies
Texas A&M University
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